Legal Protection For Victims of Digital Scams in Indonesia

A Comparative Study of The Indonesian Anti-Scam Centre (IASC) and The Singapore Police Force Anti-Scam Centre (ASC)

Abstract

Consumer protection in the digital era offers numerous benefits but introduces new risks like scams that cause significant financial losses. This study aims to analyze the legal protection for digital scam victims in Indonesia and Singapore and compare the handling mechanisms of the Indonesia Anti Scam Centre (IASC) and the Singapore Police Anti Scam Centre (ASC). This research employs a qualitative normative juridical approach through statutory analysis and comparative study. The findings highlight fundamental differences between the two countries: Singapore's SASC prioritizes preventive measures and law enforcement through an integrated system leveraging AI without focusing its primary mandate directly on recovering victims' funds. Conversely, Indonesia's IASC focuses more on curative efforts such as delaying suspicious transactions and recovering remaining funds, but its implementation is severely hindered by regulatory fragmentation, slow sectoral inter-agency coordination, and the limited jurisdiction of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in criminal investigations. The main contribution of this research is a specific comparative analysis that maps the legal and institutional gaps in Indonesia, recommending tiered operational integration and measurable responsibility standards to shift the protection orientation from reactive post-loss responses to a coordinated, preventive, and accountable restorative system.